New P5 billion cruise terminal to rise in Entertainment City

MANILA, Philippines — The government will start building this year a P5-billion terminal for cruise vessels in a property near the country’s main gateway to promote Manila as a jump-off point for international voyages.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is set to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) for the construction of a dedicated terminal for cruise ships.

The terminal will be located at the end of Aseana Avenue in Entertainment City, just 10 minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The project will sit beside Solaire Resort Entertainment City and SMDC Festival Grounds, and will be close to hotel-and-casino giants City of Dreams Manila and Okada Manila. It will also be encircled by condominiums that used to be occupied by employees of Philippine offshore gaming operators.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said the memorandum would likely be ready before President Marcos delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address. Construction is scheduled to start this year, with the aim of opening the terminal within the Marcos administration.

Based on initial estimates, the terminal will cost P5 billion, to be funded through PPA’s own capital.

The project, which would be the first of its kind in Metro Manila, will span at least 1,000 square meters, with the PPA leasing the land from the PRA for 25 years, extendable by 25 years.

Santiago said the PPA has chosen the area because of its proximity to the airport, opening up an opportunity for Manila to become a home port for cruise lines.

“The site is nearer the airport, and what we want to do is when the project is finished, we want to market Manila as a home port for cruise ships. Tourists can fly to Manila to hop on a cruise trip, and they can also fly out of Manila if the cruise trip ends here,” Santiago told The STAR.

Preliminary designs of the project showed that the pier can receive up to four vessels at the same time. Ships will also be given a navigational channel as wide as one kilometer and as long as 15 kilometers for safety compliance.

As such, Santiago said the PRA has agreed to limit approvals for future reclamation activities to respect the navigational requirements of cruise ships.

As planned, the project draws inspiration from Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal, so it will become a unified complex for dining, rest and recreation and shopping.

Based on PPA data, the Philippines welcomed 226,247 visitors from cruise ships in 2025, up by half from 2024’s 150,903, as more international operators are pinning the archipelago as a stop.

More than a tourism push, the PPA’s cruise terminal may just be the catalyst needed to resuscitate the property market in the Bay Area. Colliers Philippines research director Joey Bondoc said the project would reignite buying demand for condos in the Bay Area.

The Bay Area is a sleeping giant with a 57.8-percent vacancy as of March, according to Colliers. This is expected to worsen to 59.4 percent by year-end, if nothing changes in the corridor.

“Typically, the fourth quarter is a strong period for hotels in the Bay Area, and the [terminal] will likely further stoke demand for accommodation facilities, not just for hotels, but also residential units or condos being offered as condotels,” Bondoc told The STAR.

The PPA is building an exclusive terminal for cruise ships to replace the existing system that sees international voyages and Philippine Coast Guard vessels sharing space at the Port of Manila’s Pier 15.

The government, led by the Department of Tourism, is working on marketing the Philippines as a cruise destination following wins as Asia’s Best Cruise Destination in 2023 and Best Port of Call in 2024.